Petaluma has talked about a new wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) since the late 1980s, and the dream is finally rising out of the ground. Construction started in 2005 and is about one year from completion. In a recent aerial photograph one can see the two large oxidation "ditches" and their supporting clarifiers near Lakeville Road, and behind them the four polishing wetlands. Beyond the polishing wetlands we can view the brackish tidal wetland that connects to the Petaluma River.

The project was first conceived in the 1990s by the Petaluma City Council after a visit to the Arcata Marsh & Wildlife Sanctuary, one of the first wastewater treatment plants in the country to utilize natural-looking wetlands to give a final cleanup to wastewater. The Arcata project soon became a national model for this natural, inexpensive, environmentally friendly approach. The secondary benefit for Arcata was a wetlands ecosystem that attracts about 200 species of birds, creating a birders' paradise. A four-mile trail system, open to the public, has made this the most popular nature attraction in the Eureka area. The Petaluma city council decided to emulate this project and contracted for a draft plan that was made public in 2001.

Many citizens of Petaluma became excited about the new WWTP with wetlands and a wildlife sanctuary and lobbied the city government to make it happen. The Petaluma Wetlands Alliance (PWA) was born as the leadership focus to promote and support the idea. In 2003 PWA evolved into a support group for Petaluma's public wetlands and merged with Madrone Audubon.
PWA helped get the grant money to purchase the 270 acres for the WWTP project, which borders the south side of Shollenberger Park.

We anticipate that the project (to be called "Ellis Creek Water Recycling Facility & Wildlife Sanctuary") will also become a Mecca for wildlife, birders, and nature lovers. There will be three miles of trails for the public to enjoy. Careful observation might also reveal glimpses of one of the 11 threatened or endangered species that call Ellis Creek their home. Ellis Creek will become the focal point of the expanding PWA wetlands docent program with the polishing wetlands providing four million gallons of water per day, every day. As Dr. Stan Harris of Arcata Marsh says "just add water and everything else will come."

PWA currently has 26 docents with a dozen more in training. We hope to expand the docent group to 50-75 people by the time the Ellis Creek facility opens to the public. Our present docent activities include a successful grade school wetlands science program, adult bird walks, and family nature tours. At Ellis Creek we will also offer WWTP tours, education on water conservation, and a special "silent" walk to observe endangered species.

Currently the buildings are under roof, the wetlands have been tested, and native plants will soon be planted throughout the site. Then construction staging areas will be restored back to seasonal wetlands. The estimated construction completion time is September 2008. After testing and fine-tuning, Ellis Creek will open to the public in Spring 2009. Our long-term facility goals for the site include an interpretive center and a huge bird blind to hold a whole classroom of kids.

As the structures near completion our excitement grows. It may take a year or two for the vegetation to fill in and create good habitat for resident species, but it will happen, and we will find ourselves immersed in the finest public wetland supported by the best wetlands education program in California.

The short, mixed history of coastal restoration points to a substantial degree of uncertainty and unpredictability of outcomes. This is the conclusion advanced by botanist and coastal plant ecologist Peter Baye, who has studied landmark coastal habitat restoration projects from the last 30 years, including a number in Northern California. The results have ranged from very favorable to unsatisfactory or even adverse outcomes; however, even the "problem children" of restoration projects yield some practical lessons.

Educated in New England and Canada, Peter Baye has focused his wide-ranging studies on beach, dune and coastal wetlands. He has done analysis and conservation for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. He currently works as an independent applied ecologist for restoration and conservation efforts along the California coast and San Francisco Estuary and lives in the unincorporated coast ranges of northern Sonoma County.

NO GENERAL MEETING IN DECEMBER

Coming in January
Oregonian (and woodpecker specialist) Steve Shunk will present "Breeding Birds of the Oregon Cascades.

A few years ago, through WildCare of Marin, my songbird hospital was brought a nest with two small, nearly naked hatchling birds to care for. The nest was beautiful, as most passerine nests are. Small works of art that, once again, leave us in awe of these remarkable beings.

This particular nest was cup-shaped, very neat and round, compact and sturdy. Small pieces of what looked like paper towel were woven between thin strips of bark and other plant material and bound together with spider web. The inside was lined with horsehair and what appeared to be polyester filling from a pillow. It was an interesting mix of materials. The nest may have been removed from a blackberry bramble because two thin twigs of blackberry, thorns included, were firmly attached just beneath the outer layer of the nest. The tiny inhabitants of this nest were Wrentits.

The Wrentit, chamaea fasciata, is not related to wrens or titmice as the name may suggest. It is a member of old world babblers and is the only representative of this group in North America. The Wrentit's range extends from coastal areas of Oregon south to Baja California. Commonly found in coastal scrub and chaparral, the Wrentit is non-migratory and is described as "sedentary" in a few accounts of the species. Wrentits form long-term monogamous pair bonds. In other words, they mate for life, and together they will maintain a small territory of approximately two acres.

Although unrelated to wrens, the Wrentit does forage in a wren-like fashion as he hops from branch to branch throughout the dense vegetation of his "patch," gleaning insects from the leaves. Their diet includes mostly insects, but berries are also a significant portion of their diet, especially during fall and winter.

They're not an especially flashy bird, but mostly brown or some variation of brown. They have a dark, short, pointy bill and a long tail that they hold upright and sometimes sway back and forth as they move about. Their wings are short and rounded, something I took note of when raising the two little orphans. If you observe the Wrentit flying, it will usually be a very short flight across a narrow opening in his brushy habitat. Other than their long tail, their eyes are another fairly prominent feature. In contrast to their overall brown-ness, their light-colored iris really stands out. Some accounts describe it as light yellow, others as white. I can say again from the two little orphans (and this could be due to their age), that their eyes were a very pale yellow.

The Wrentit is often described as "heard, but not seen." I guess that depends on where you're looking. Over the Song Sparrows, White-crowned Sparrows and Marsh Wrens, I always hear the Wrentit's bouncing-ball call on walks out to Abbotts Lagoon in Point Reyes, but I have rarely seen one there. However, my walks around the pond and Five Brooks in Point Reyes always include an appearance by a Wrentit or two. Here, I have been scolded, nearly hopped on and once enjoyed a three-second visit at a picnic table by a Wrentit. So, if you're yearning to see one of these modestly plumed skulkers of tangle and thickets, you now know where to go.

Want your Leaves hot off the editor's desk? Consider receiving the Leaves electronically. In the past, some of you have asked for your copy to be sent electronically, saving Madrone printing and postage costs. We are currently exploring who and how many of our members are interested in receiving their newsletters electronically. Contact membership chair Dennis Wheeler at dencwheel@sbcglobal.net.

PENNGROVE: Barbara Jean Veronda. PETALUMA: Kate Brickley, Design in Wood, Inc. SEBASTOPOL: John Mock, Jan Vannatta.

The Bouverie Backyard Naturalist Series
The Bouverie Preserve of Audubon Canyon Ranch is offering an exciting new program of field courses designed for adults who wish to hone their own naturalist skills while learning more about the flora and fauna of the Valley of the Moon in Sonoma County.

Four Saturdays, 9:30 AM to 2:00 PM, at the Bouverie Preserve in Glen Ellen:
October 20, 2007 - Natural History of Oaks
November 10, 2007 - Beginning Birding
April 5, 2008 - Flowers and Pollinators
May 10, 2008 - Grasses

Classroom and field activities included, class size is limited. Sign up for one seminar or the whole series! Easy-to-moderate hiking required, so wear hiking shoes, a hat and sunscreen. Bring water and a bag lunch. The cost is $25 per seminar. Send an email to leslie@egret.org or call 415-868-9244 to register.

ACR e-newsletter
Audubon Canyon Ranch has launched an e-newsletter and welcomes new subscribers. Published once every two months, the free email newsletter highlights updates from ACR preserves, including school group visits, latest findings from ACR science staff, volunteer opportunities, way to come explore ACR preserves, and more.

Visit www.egret.org, then click e-newsletter to sign up or to view past issues.

Here are two requests asking birders to help provide important information about the state of the birds in our area:

#1 Please Report Observations of Color-Banded Tricolored Blackbirds
Nearly 1800 Tricolored Blackbirds were color-banded during the 2007 breeding season; your assistance in reporting observations of these color-banded birds is essential to help us to learn more about tricolors. Please report detailed observations to: tricolored.blackbird@gmail.com.

All birds were fitted with a USGS aluminum band, a white color band (denoting the year) and an additional color band denoting the county (Yolo County = green, Yuba County = blue, Colusa County = orange).

From Bob Meese, Department of Environmental Science & Policy, UC Davis.

#2 Survey of San Francisco Bay's shorebirds, November 8-10
This is an important survey coordinated through a partnership between PRBO Conservation Science, Audubon California, United States Geologic Survey, and San Francisco Bay Bird Observatory. Last year's study, the first comprehensive San Francisco Bay-wide survey since 1993, was part of a larger effort to survey 10 other major estuaries of California. Results from last year once again confirmed San Francisco Bay's critical significance to birds as one of the most important wintering sites for shorebirds in North America. Approximately 75% of all birds counted amongst the 11 estuaries were found in San Francisco Bay.

If you would like to participate, contact Mike Perlmutter to obtain count logistics at MPerlmutter@audubon.org. The North Bay survey will be on Friday, November 9.

Howarth and Spring Lake Parks, Wednesday, October 3
Ten birders joined Betty Groce on the walkabout at Howarth Park and Spring Lake. The weather was gorgeous, warm & sunny, but the birding was below normal. We missed seeing quite a few of the cast of characters usually seen at this time of the year at these locations, ending up with a total of only 50 species. The highlights of the day were three Green Herons and an aerial display by a pair of Cooper's Hawks over Spring Lake Park.

Point Reyes, Saturday, October 6
Beginner's Bird Walk, submitted by Veronica Bowers
On a gloriously warm and sunny, barely-a-breeze-in-the-air day, a baker's dozen of us birded Point Reyes. Throughout the day, the skies were graced with the elegant beauty of hundreds of violet green swallows headed south. Oh la la! Over 68 species were seen that day including, but not limited to, Rock Wren, Bewick's Wren, Marsh Wren, Olive-sided Flycatcher, Western Wood-Pewee, Yellow Warbler, Townsend's Warbler, Wilson's Warbler, Orange-crowned Warbler, Swainson's Thrush, Hermit Thrush, Western Bluebirds, Hutton's Vireo, Warbling Vireo, Vaux's Swift, kettles of assorted raptors, many flickers, Red-breasted Sapsucker, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Say's Phoebe, Golden-crowned and White-crowned Sparrows, Surf Scoter, Common Loon, Heermann's Gull and more! We were unable to locate the Bobolink reported at chimney rock, but we did enjoy copious amounts of chocolate during our lunch there.

At 3:00 most members of the group headed home, but a few of us ventured out to Abbotts Lagoon. Five grebes-Clark's, Western, Eared, Pied-billed and Horned-were seen as well as Dunlin, Marbled Godwit, Greater White-fronted Goose, Brown Pelican, Black-bellied Plover, American Wigeon, Lesser Scaup, Ruddy Duck, Northern Shoveler and more! A truly excellent day.

Meet Malkolm, Ken, and Wendy. Malkolm Madsen is a 15-year-old avid birder. Ken and Wendy are his parents. Starting way up in the Canadian Yukon, the three are on their bikes in a "Big Year." (A Big Year is a year-long quest to see as many North American birds as possible, a la Ken Kaufmann and Roger Tory Peterson.) This is far from an ordinary Big Year. Malkolm will ride his bike 10,000 miles from the Yukon south to California and east to Florida to count birds and to protect birds by raising awareness for arctic bird species and our carbon footprint. It's a fossil fuel-free Big Year.

Malkolm, being 15, is taking along his parents Ken and Wendy. Ken and Wendy may be old pro campaigners for the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, but a fossil fuel-free Big Year on bikes will challenge everyone. Thinking about global warming can make you want to crawl under the covers but as conservationists we know we have to take action. Bring in heroes like Malkolm. Let this young man inspire you to take part in the effort to curb global warming. There's so much we can all do whether it's changing to CFL light bulbs, walking more often, sending letters to your congressional representative, or organizing a low-carbon bird walk.

Audubon offers more solutions and tips. Several Audubon chapters will host events to greet Malkolm, Ken, and Wendy as they ride along the California coast. You can follow along their journey at
http://birdyear.blogspot.com. If you have done something to help curb global warming and protect the arctic birds that Malkolm loves, send Malkolm a message through the blog to keep their spirits fueled during the long rides.

The MCAS Board hosted the Madsens as they arrived in Fort Bragg on September 4th. Volunteers from MCAS and Save Our Shorebirds Project took the Madsens on a birding trip to Virgin Creek Beach.

Do something special "for the birds" this holiday season! For over a century, volunteers have been collecting information on the birds in their communities. The CBC database now contains more than a century of data on early-winter bird populations across the Americas. This one-day annual event is an opportunity to meet other local volunteers, hone your birding skills, and take part in a seasonal tradition.

Madrone Audubon Society
Madrone Audubon's 41st annual Christmas Bird Count will be held on Sunday, December 30 this year. The count is centered in western Sonoma County, in the Salmon Creek watershed, from west of Sebastopol to the coast and from just north of the Russian River to the Estero Americano.

Joy Mander is the count compiler and organizer for Madrone. You can contact her at wscbc@aol.com (preferred) or at 778-7865. Watch for more details on this CBC and the dinner celebration that will follow the count in the next issue of the Leaves.

RROS
The Redwood Regional Ornithological Society's Santa Rosa Count will be on Sunday, December 16. All levels of birding skills are welcome. If you are willing to count or have any questions please contact Ruth Rudesill at ruthier@sonic.net or 833-6026.

Sonoma Valley
Sonoma Valley's 3rd Annual CBC, sponsored by Sonomabirding, will be on Friday, December 28, dawn to dusk. Celebrate New Year's weekend with one of the best new CBC's in the U.S. and join us at the Sonoma Community Center for a "Tabulation Dinner" from 6:00 to 8:00 PM following the count. ALL birders are most welcomed to join us in Wine Country! Volunteers are needed for the potluck dinner. SV-CBC official compilers are Darren Peterie & Tom Rusert. For more information, go to www.sonomabirding.org.

Children's Christmas Bird Count
Mark your calendars! Sonoma Valley Birding and Madrone Audubon will be hosting the first annual Children's Christmas Bird Count on Saturday, January 5, 2008. Details coming soon! For more information, call Veronica Bowers at 829-2955.

11th Annual Sandhill Crane Festival
November 2-4. The festival celebrates the return of the Greater and Lesser Sandhill Cranes to the rich delta wetlands of the Lodi area. Check the website at www.lodichamber.com/scfestival or contact the Lodi Chamber of Commerce Office at 800-581-6150 for registration or general information.

Central Valley Birding Symposium
November 15 through 18. The symposium will take place in Stockton at a new location, the brand-new Sheraton Stockton Convention Center. Many events to choose from: evening programs, workshops and field trips, plus an ongoing birding nature fair and art show. For more information, go to the website at www.cvbs.org, or contact Frances Oliver at hummer52@sbcglobal.net or 209-369-2010.

Fairfield Osborn Preserve Field Workshops
All outings run from 10:30 AM to 2:30 PM. No reservations necessary. Fees are $15-$20. Rain does not cancel. More information at www.sonoma.edu/org/preserve or 795-5069.

Saturday, November 3: "Master Naturalist Tour with Ron Robertson." The deeper aspects of autumnal natural history.

Saturday, November 10: "SOD for non-scientists with Lisa Bell." A field examination of Sudden Oak Death syndrome for the landowner and oak lover.

Saturday, December 15: "Wild Mushrooms with Charmoon Richardson." A day of mushroom lore and a foray…

12th Annual Morro Bay Winter Bird Festival.
January 18-21 in Morro Bay. Come to where the birds are and join Morro Coast Audubon Society (MCAS) for our 12th Annual Morro Bay Winter Bird Festival. Located on California's scenic Central Coast, Morro Bay is an important stop on the Pacific Flyway and one of the country's pre-eminent birding spots. For more information about the Festival, check out our website at www.morrobaybirdfestival.org, or call 805-772-4677. The registration deadline is January 4, and early signups are encouraged as the most popular events fill up quickly.

San Francisco Bay Flyway Festival
February 1-3. The San Francisco Bay Flyway Festival is based in and around Mare Island, the former naval shipyards located between the Napa River and San Pablo Bay. Check out the website for more information (and some fine photos by Glenn Nevill): www.sfbayflywayfestival.com/.

4th International Partners in Flight Conference
February 13-16. The conference will be held this year at the new McAllen Convention Center in McAllen, Texas. The theme,
"Tundra to Tropics: Connecting Birds, Habitats and People," will be shared with International Migratory Bird Day for 2008. The focus of the conference will be international connections of all sorts that further bird and habitat conservation throughout the Western Hemisphere. For more information go to www.partnersinflight.org/events/mcallen/.

Join us for a very special hike at Spring Lake with Terwilliger nature guides where we will learn about Acorn Woodpeckers, Osprey, Turkey Vultures and other wildlife in the area and the place they call home. The Terwilliger teaching method is founded on the philosophy that long-term conservation and preservation of the Earth's natural resources depends on providing young children with "hands-on" active experiences of nature. Fun activities, taxidermy specimens and discovery will be part of the adventure.

Please call Veronica Bowers at (707) 829-2955 to make a reservation.

Brown Booby September Salt pond levees near Alviso, Santa Clara County M. Ob.
Cattle Egret (12) 9/23 Two Rock, south of Walker Road DN
Greater White-fronted Goose (8) 9/22 Bridgehaven BDP et al.
Snow Goose (2) 10/5 Delta Pond LH
Blue-winged Teal (6) 9/22 Shollenberger Park BDP et al.
Swallow-tailed Kite 9/30 Abbott's Lagoon DT
Swallow-tailed Kite * 10/4 Graton Road / Peaks Pike Road CJ
Merlin (2) 10/4 Peaks Pike Road at Graton DN, RL, LH, BDP
Black Rail 9/22 Doran Pond marsh BDP et al.
Pacific Golden-Plover 9/22 Shollenberger Park BDP et al.
Pectoral Sandpiper (4) 9/23 Doran Pond (departing) DN
Hudsonian Godwit 9/23 Doran Park JWh et al.
Franklin's Gull 9/22 Jenner BDP et al.
Sabine's Gull Mid-September Lake Hennessey BDP
Common Tern (2-3) September Bodega Harbor DN
Eurasian Collared-Dove (20+) 9/28 Bloomfield feeder FJ
Calliope Hummingbird Early September Stinson Beach KH
Ruby-throated Hummingbird Early September Stinson Beach KH
Broad-tailed Hummingbird Mid-September Stinson Beach KH
Vaux's Swift 8/7 Doran Park DN
Yellow Wagtail Early September Porto Bodega (belated report from visiting British birders)
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (2) 8/25 Near Jenner DB
Tennessee Warbler 9/20 Campbell Cove DN, LH
Nashville Warbler 9/10 Owl Canyon DN
Chestnut-sided Warbler (immature) 9/9-16 Owl Canyon RR, DN, JWi, R&JM
Chestnut-sided Warbler (brt. adult) 9/10 Campbell Cove DN
Magnolia Warbler (male) 9/11-12 Owl Canyon DN, BDP, DH, et al.
Yellow-rumped Warbler 9/20 Owl Canyon / Campbell Cove (first arrival) DN, LH
Palm Warbler (2-3) 9/29 Bodega Marine Laboratory entrance cypresses TE et al.
Canada Warbler (immature) 9/12-13 Owl Canyon DN et al.
Northern Waterthrush 9/2-12 Rail Ponds RL, RM, AW
American Redstart 9/11 Bodega Marine Laboratory entrance cypresses BDP, DH, DN, et al.
American Pipit (3-5) 9/10 Owl Canyon (first arrivals) DN
Lincoln's Sparrow (6) 9/11 Campbell Canyon / Owl Canyon (first arrivals) DN
Fox Sparrow 9/16 Owl Canyon (first arrival) DN
Golden-crowned Sparrow 9/20 Owl Canyon (first arrival) DN, LH
Lawrence's Goldfinch 9/16 North of Owl Canyon; single calling fly-over DN
Bobcat 9/7 Bodega Head above Campbell Cove DN
Coyote 9/13 Owl Canyon-as close as six feet as it was busily "marking" territory DN et al.

* Note: Carolyn photographed the perched, preening bird. And quickly spread the word!! These represent California's FIRST record, but as of this writing, it has not been re-found.

CONTRIBUTORS: Dave Barry, Ted Eliot, Keith Hansen, Lisa Hug, Fred Jacobs, Carolyn Johnson, Rick Lebadour, Julie & Roger Marlowe, Richard Merriss, Dan Nelson, Benjamin D. Parmeter, Ruth Rudesill, David Talirone, Alan Wight, Jon Winter, and Jim White.

On October 12 Governor Schwarzenegger signed AB 821, which will help the continued recovery of the California Condor by banning the use of lead ammunition from areas inhabited by the endangered species.

"This is a great day for the California Condor and the State of California," said Glenn Olson, executive director of Audubon California. "I would like to commend Governor Schwarzenegger for signing the Ridley-Tree Condor Conservation Act and again putting our state at the forefront on wildlife protection."

Condors frequently feed on animal carcasses left behind by hunters, and ingest dangerously high levels of lead from ammunition. Audubon California, which has long advocated on behalf of the endangered species, has been pushing for additional protections for the Condor both among hunters and actively at the legislative and policy levels.

The new law, authored by Assemblyman Pedro Nava, will require the use of non-lead centerfire ammunition within the Department of Fish and Game's deer hunting zones within current and potential condor range in California. Lead-free ammunition is increasingly available and will have no effect on hunters' enjoyment of their sport. To the extent funding is available, big game hunters in these hunting zones will get coupons for non-lead ammunition at no or reduced charge.

"This legislation is clear proof that creative solutions are available to our most vexing environmental issues, and that Californians need not choose between wildlife protection and recreational uses, such as hunting," added Olson.